I KEEP MY SLAYER CD IN A POOL OF BLOOD SO THAT NONE OF ITS LIES CAN AFFECT ME.

Hot Turkey Ed went to see Slayer? What The Fuck? Let me lay it out upfront. I bought tickets for this show in September while in a much more tolerant Slayer mindset coupled by the fact Mastodon was providing support. I enjoy some of Slayer's music despite beyond-the-pale lyrics -- all, good and bad, overshadowed by my feelings on one specific song. I have spent the last two weeks coughing up and blowing out my nose things yellow and green, and I would have been more than happy to shitcan the whole affair -- except tonight was Bouville's first Slayer concert and I wouldn't flake out on a buddy in those circumstances. A better metal friend than me, you will not find.

Doors were late, and that gave us that much more time to enjoy the Slaytanism on display on Market Street outside the Warfield. I know it's a cliche, but there's nothing quite like a Slayer crowd. They're loud, ugly, obnoxious, and damn do they love their band. Besides the standard Slayer shirts, I saw a ton of Metallica and even a couple of Motorhead (MJ will be pleased). I don't remember seeing ONE Maiden shirt.

Once inside, Bouville screamed "BLAZE IS THE MESSIAH!" and actually got a positive response from high in the balcony.

We landed one off the center rail above the pit section -- a prime location that would require little self-defense and then only once when Slayer opened. This girl tried to wedge between me and Bouville to get in front. I muscled her back with my shoulder. She informed me that she was coming through anyways and I told gruffily "No, you're not." Then came the oldest line in the book: "But I'm a girl." for which I awarded her an "I don't care." She got the message and started to rub up against Bouville instead.

8MM Overdose (a local band) came on first and I think they played some music. I don't know. No one really gave a shit because this babe came out on stage in an skimpy outfit that would make a $10 hooker blush. Said babe preceeded to do a pole (huh huh uh huh, I wrote pole) dance without the pole throughout the four +/- song set. While she didn't get naked, the teenagers in the audience got a preview of what they can see in a nudie bar when they turn 18. Some kids on the rail tipped her a couple of George Washingtons which she flipped back to them along with a scowl. That money was proably more than 8MM Overdose got paid for the night.

Mastodon kept their hoes offstage and preceded to kick everyone's ass with an all too short but brutal twenty minute set. Their bass player sang and played center stage, which I loved since bass is my main metal axe. I want to see more of Mastodon in the future and would pay to see them even in another support role; these guys have a ton of potential. Their brief set list:

Iron Tusk
March of the Fire Ants
Megalodon
Blood and Thunder

Killswitch Engage was not my bag and thus I will not comment further. I generally do not trash bands in reviews because they are at least doing something most of us are not: performing on stage.

In July, I saw Slayer support Judas Priest in Marysville at an offdate concert from Ozzfest. Between that set list and what others reported here, I was well prepared and knew what to expect from Slayer -- no real surprises for me. Their set list was the same as prior Jager shows minus Die By The Sword:

Darkness Of Christ (intro)
Disciple
War Ensemble
At Dawn They Sleep
Fight Till Death
Stain Of Mind
Bloodline
Mandatory Suicide
Hallowed Point
Necrophiliac
Dead Skin Mask
Seasons In The Abyss
Chemical Warfare
Hell Awaits
South Of Heaven
Angel Of Death
Postmortem
Raining Blood

As headliners this time, Slayer made extensive use of stage fog/smoke and several strobing blinders-- the best I've seen this year. Not just once but several times, the smoke engulfed the entire stage and pit such that you COULDN'T SEE through it. Then the fog would rise and clear over Tom as he screamed, I mean sung. The strobes would blind and blaze during a chorus to the beat of the music, making Slayer look like it was rising from the depths of hell. It was pretty fucking cool. Oh yeah, backdrop changes on the opener and closer... in between, it's the same eagle banners they've used all year...some songs,they do little light tricks on them.. i.e. bright crosses that rotate upside down during South of Heaven.

Slayer doesn't run around that much; they get up on the stage and do their thing. Tom didn't scream "Hey San Francisco, are you ready to rock?" because the crowd already knew what to do. Hell, there were fights breaking out / moshing before the music even started. The lower section of the Warfield was one giant circle pit and pretty brutal from my vantage point. Bouville jumped in for Hell Awaits, once again, proving his metal.

I bailed out for the lobby during South of Heaven to avoid Angel of Death. I refuse to listen this fucking song nor will I stand silently while it is being played. A few minutes later after it was over, I poked my head in the main hall to see the raining blood effect during the last song. From afar, it looks pretty cool (like a red misty rain passing softly underneath a street lamp at night) but Bouville couldn't hardly tell it was happening up front.

I have spent a lot of time attacking Slayer this year. You know what? I just don't give a fuck anymore. Angel of Death will forever tarnish any personal excitement I can have over Slayer, and that's just the way it is. That one song and associated baggage, more so than anything else, prevent me from being SSSSLLLLAAAAYYYYEEEERRRRR!!!.